Crouching Tigress Dragon Warrior
by Ronwyn The Queen of Darkness
Summary: She was a warrior, emotionless and perfect. He was supposed to be the Dragon Warrior, but to her he was just an idiot. Will Tigress be able to see the truth thats right in front of her? PoxTigress
1. Night Musings

OK! Here's the chapter of my newest fanfic. I hope you enjoy it!

**Chapter 1 Night Musings**

In the dark of night, while all in the Valley slept, only one was awake. The sounds of pounding and growling could be heard coming from the training hall in the Jade Palace. It was Tigress, of course. Her rage had been too great for sleep. It was her anger of Po being the Dragon Warrior. Training was the only way she knew to quell her irrational rage.

Po, the fat, flabby panda that he was, had actually defeated Tai Lung! How, she had no idea.

"It must have been the Dragon Scroll." She muttered to herself. Somehow, he had gained knowledge that no one else could, and defeated one of the fiercest warriors of all time. So why couldn't she? She had trained for years! Fought countless enemies! And yet, when she faced Tai Lung, she had become easy prey to his nerve attack.

Tigress shook her head. She knew she should be grateful to Po, respect him more. He had saved the Valley of Peace from sure destruction. But, instead, all she could do was compare herself to him. She knew she could defeat Po effortlessly if she wished! She snarled and gouged the training post with her claws.

"So why wasn't I good enough?" She whispered. Her ears pricked as she heard the sound of someone approaching the training hall. She moved back to a shadowed wall of the darkened training hall, golden eyes watching the door. In walked the source of her problems: Po.

"You!" She exclaimed, her shock of seeing him at so late an hour overriding her desire to be quiet. Po jumped.

"Ah! Tigress! Oh..." He flushed. "You scared me. What's with all the sneakiness? You could have given me a heart attack!"

"What are YOU doing here, Po?" Tigress growled, ears flattening against her skull.

"Me?" Po looked around nervously, "I was...uh..." He sighed and hung his head. "I left my snacks here earlier and my stomach woke me up."

"You came here...to get food?" Tigress asked in clear disbelief.

"Yeah." Po mumbled.

"That's ridiculous." Tigress huffed. "You know you should focus on training without food, or it WILL give you a heart attack. It's a wonder you can fight at all with all that fat in your way."

"Hey!" Po frowned, "All this squishiness is absolutely natural! It's got nothing to do with how I eat!" His stomach gurgled loudly, serving as a reminder of his reason for being there. "Now if you don't mind, I'll just grab my snacks and...hey, why are YOU here so late anyway? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Tigress rolled her eyes.

"I was training. I do that sometimes...when I can't sleep."  
>"Ahhh." Po said knowingly, "Nightmares?"<p>

"I do not have nightmares!" Tigress snapped quickly. Too quickly. It was none of his business if she sometimes had nightmares or not!

"Hey, I get it. I'm sure you've seen lots of bad stuff."

"Yes." Tigress sneered. "I have. Unlike you, the 'Dragon Warrior'."

"Uh..." Po blinked. "So what are YOU talking about? 'Cause I'm getting this feeling that we're not really on the same page here."

"Nothing you would understand." Tigress moved in a blur to stand before him. "Perhaps, when you have been the cause of someone's death, THEN you will understand." Po seemed to realize that there was nothing he could say that would make things better, and wisely chose to remain silent. With a frustrated growled, Tigress stalked from the training hall and back to her room. As she slid her door shut she collapsed on her bed.

"Stupid panda." She grumbled as her eyes slid shut.

So what did you think? Good? Let me know, my faithful readers!


	2. Petals and Advice

So heres the next chapter. I wrote three of them before deciding to submit it. I hope people like it! Oh! And I need a disclaimer.

Disclaimer: This is not mine. I dont really know WHO it belongs to but I wish it was me!

**Chapter 2 Petals and Advice**

Po stood in the training hall for a little while, food completly forgotten. With a shudder, he left and began the trip to the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. Flushed with effort, he plucked some of the fruit and sat down beneath the tree. He wished now, more then ever, that Master Oogway was still around. He would surely have a few kind words for him and some advice on how to deal with the ever changing moods of Tigress. He closed his eyes.

"Women." He grumbled. He felt quite peaceful under the tree in the warm summer air. He didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until he felt something poking his side. Grumbling, he opened his eyes and jumped at the sight of Shifu poking him with his staff.

"Master Shifu!" He exclaimed. "I...uh..." He looked around. It was just barely dawn. Shifu frowned.

"Why are you here, Po? Shouldn't you still be in bed?" His voice was not necessarily kind, but it also held no anger.

"Er..." Po looked away. "I woke up and then I...I felt like I couldn't go back to sleep. So I came here."

"I see." Shifu murmured. "And what happened that would cause YOU to not be able to sleep in a proper bed?"  
>"Nothing!" Po lied. It was, unfortunately, an obvious lie.<p>

"Are you sure?" Shifu pressed gently.

"No." Po mumbled, looking at his lap.

"I see." Shifu bent down and gathered the soft pink petals that had fallen from the tree. "Come." With a handful of petals in one hand, and Oogways staff in the other, he made his way towards the Hall of Warriors. Po followed silently, the past nights events still clearly bothering him. They walked through the Hall of Warriors, until they reached the Moon Pool. Gently, Shifu released the petals into the water.

"Why did you do that?" Po questioned. Shifu smiled sadly.

"Master Oogway used to gather the petals from the tree for every day they bloomed, and then spread them upon the waters here."

"Why?" Po repeated.

"Much of what he did was a mystery to me." Shifu confessed. "Now, I do much of what he did in the hopes that I might gain even a tiny portion of his wisdom."

"Okay..."

"Now. What is it that has you so clearly troubled?" Shifu asked gently, "I haven't heard you mention food once since I woke you." Po sighed.

"I don't know really. Well I guess I kind of know. Tigress is being really...weird. I mean, sometimes she seems fine with me and then sometimes its like she still hates me. Also, she mentioned something that kind of creeped me out. She said I didn't understand because I hadn't been the cause of someone's death."

"Ahhh. I see." Shifu murmured. "Tigress was the first student I took after Tai Lung. And her path to Kung Fu mastery has been one filled with hardships and darkness. I am grateful every day that she did not turn out like Tai Lung due to my blindness. Tai Lung I loved too much. But Tigress...I fear I did not love enough. It is difficult to keep ones emotions in perfect balance, and something I still must learn to do. " He sighed. "But on the matter of her anger towards you, I suspect she is sometimes still jealous that Master Oogway chose you to be the Dragon Warrior."

"What?" Po exclaimed. "Really? But...she's so...AWSOME and stuff! I mean, she's WAY better then me at Kung Fu."

"Ah, but it is YOU that defeated Tai Lung. Not her."

"Well...yeah, I guess. But I think at least half of it was an accident. I mean, who could have guessed that my...fluffiness would protect me from his nerve attacks."

"There are no accidents." Shifu chuckled. "Regardless, I think her anger comes from jealousy. I wonder, perhaps, if she feels like she has failed me because she could not defeat Tai Lung." The last of that was said quietly, not really meant for Po to hear.

"Huh. So what should I do?" Po asked, clearly confused.

"Tell her how much you respect her skill." Shifu offered. "Perhaps ask her to train you. That is all I can tell you. Her mind is still very much a mystery to me at times."

"Right. Got it." Po nodded firmly.

"Good. I'm glad I could help. Now, go prepare for the day. Eat some breakfast before you fall over."

"Geeze." Po rolled his eyes. "You sound like my dad."

"Food seems to be a necessity with you." Shifu teased lightly. "And I would be a poor master if I let my student die of starvation before my eyes." Po grinned and bowed.

"Thank you Master Shifu!" Shifu opened his mouth to reply but Po was already gone, charging out the door and towards the kitchens.

Read and review please!


	3. The Asking

Ok, heres the third chapter! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did while writing it!

Disclaimer: Still not mine!

Chapter 3 The Asking

Tigress refused to act awkward when she saw Po in the dining area the next morning. but the idiot kept shooting her strange looks! She resisted the urge to glare at him, instead contenting herself with stabbing the innocent eggs on her plate and imagining it was his head.

"So...uh...Tigress..." Po began. Tigress sighed.

"What?" She snapped.

"I was wondering...if you could help me train today." Everyone froze. All eyes flicked to Tigress and then to Po.

"Why would you ask that?" Tigress asked calmly, preparing herself for some stupid joke.

"Well, you're really good at Kung Fu...and stuff. And I want to be really good, like you. So I thought I'd ask for your help." Tigress narrowed her eyes, suspicion clear.

"Fine." She said. There was a collective gasp. Apparently nobody had expected her to actually AGREE.

"Take it back Po." Mantis whispered. "She'll eat you alive. Her training is way too hard core for you!"

"We begin now. Meet me outside the training hall." Tigress left quickly, not wanting to hear what the others would say.

"Well...that was nice of her." Viper commented casually.

"I wouldn't call it nice." Monkey chuckled.

"You're going to be SO beat up by the time she's done with you." Mantis said, nodding reverently.

"Look you guys; I really wanted to learn from her!" Po snapped, "Besides, I can take whatever she can dish out."

"That's what YOU think." Viper teased. She shook her head, "Mantis is right about one thing. Tigress is more hard core then any of us. Her training style is brutal, pushing her body until she all but breaks. That's how she works. I don't think you're training style will be compatible with hers."

"Thanks for being so supportive you guys." Po grumbled.

"You'll be ok Po." Viper said soothingly, "Don't worry too much." Po hung his head.

"I'm doomed, aren't I?" He moaned.

"Probably." Monkey agreed. Po finished his food and stood up.

"Right…well….here's hoping I don't die." He felt like a dead man walking as he headed outside.

Ok, you should know the drill by now. Read and review people!


	4. Hard Core Training

**Thanks to all who reviewed! Here's the next chapter. ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: Whats not mine is someone else's.**

Chapter 4 Hard Core Training

Tigress's body coiled in preparation. She looked at the goose she had chosen from those that ran the temple, to run the machine next to her. It was designed to act like a giant crossbow, only it fired disks instead of arrows. "Fire." She ordered. As the disk arched into the sky, she leapt after it. She kicked the stone disk with the side of her foot, shattering it effortlessly. She landed in a natural offensive stance. "Speed it up." Another disk was fired into the air, then another and another, followed by two at the same time. She leapt after them, showering the courtyard with chunks of rock. She kept going until bin of disks was completely emptied. As she landed for the final time, she noticed Po approaching.

"That was totally AWESOME!" Po exclaimed.

"That was a simple warm up." Tigress stated blankly. "When Master Shifu arrives, he will provide a proper work out for me. Until then, we will focus on you're training." She motioned to the goose, who dashed over to the storage shed and pulled out a small bin. It contained disks similar to the ones she'd been training with, only they were brown instead of stone grey. "These are soft clay disks." She picked one up and crushed it in her hand. It crumbled easily. "They will be you're targets for the warm up."

"Right…" Po smiled nervously. "Well let's get started then!"

Tigress smirked. "As you wish. The goal is to destroy the disk with you're foot. Go get it." She grabbed another disk and tossed it up into the air. Po leapt after it but he wasn't high enough. And as he lashed out his foot to kick his target, he set himself off balance and went tumbling back to the ground.

"Ow!"

"You're not jumping high enough." Tigress snapped, "And you're kick was ridiculous. You can't jump and then try and kick like that." She crouched and moved her hand up in front of her face. "Try and kick my palm."

"But won't that hurt?" Po questioned.

Tigress glared at him. "Of course not. I have trained for many years to feel no pain. A simple kick is nothing."

"Right…" Po scratched the back of his head. "If you say so." He took a deep breath and brought his foot up to kick her palm. "Ow! That was like kicking a bunch of bricks!"

"Wrong!" Tigress snapped. "Again." Hesitantly, Po brought his foot back up again. This time Tigress grabbed his foot mid strike. She pulled it up and then forward, twisting his ankle ever so slightly. Po wobbled slightly.

"Hey! Ouch!"

"Ignore the pain or you will never get anywhere in you're training."

"You still didn't have to be so rough." Po grumbled.

Tigress sighed. "Remember this position and strike again." She released Po's foot, scowling as he wobbled again. "Have you no sense of balance?"

"My balance is usually fine!" Po snapped, "I'm just not used to the position you were forcing me into!"

"Again." Tigress snapped, holding out her paw once again. Po paused, biting his lip thoughtfully for a minute. Finally, he nodded.

"Ok. I'm ready." He brought his foot up again, doing a sort of strange hop to adjust mid-kick. Tigress's eyes narrowed as his kick connected with her palm.

"Still wrong! You're kicks need to be strong and decisive! No hesitance! Now do it again!" Po narrowed his eyes and straightened his back.

"Right!" He lifted his foot and stuck again.

"Again." Was all Tigress would say. Po groaned and did it again, and again, and again. Until he finally collapsed onto his back.

"No more! My foot hurts too much!"

"That's pathetic." Tigress sneered. "Get up 'Dragon Warrior'. It is time to do the disks again." Po rolled onto his side and pushed himself to his feet.

"I couldn't hit those if I tried." he moaned. "It's too tiny of a target and I'm too tired." There was a pause as Tigress seemed to consider his words.

"Very well. Then we can spar instead." She crouched, muscles coiling and tail lashing. "Prepare yourself." Po looked like he was ready to faint. He bent his knees, putting one foot in front of him and one behind to help keep his balance. He stretched one arm out in front of him and the other bent and up by his face in preparation to strike.

"Ready." And as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Tigress charged forward. He didn't even have time to register her movements until her leg swung out and swept his feet out from under him. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. He blinked up at her from the ground.

"You weren't even trying." Tigress growled. She looked mildly offended. "This is not the warrior that defeated Tai Lung. Where is you're strength? I thought Master Shifu trained you at least a little bit. Show me THAT strength. The strength of the Dragon Warrior."

"Look. I'm tired and I'm hungry. Not a good combination. And Master Shifu trained me different then this!" Po grumbled.

"Attack me properly!" Tigress practically barked. Po straightened himself wearily and got into a defensive position, ready to dodge the expected attack.

"Ok…I'm ready." His tone was hesitant, wary. This time as Tigress charged forward, he sidestepped and bounced out of the way. He sensed an attack from behind and twisted around, arms coming up to block a kick that would have knocked him flat. She used his body as a platform to jump up and land a punishing blow to his shoulders. Wincing, he rolled away and jumped to his feet again, ready for more. Tigress stood there for a moment, watching him.

"Better." She murmured before charging again. Po tensed as she came at him from the front, prepared to dodge once more. But she seemed to blur as she moved almost to fast to follow, moving to his side. He saw stars as she delivered a kick to the side of his head. He hit the ground, vision slightly blurry as his head spun.

"Urgh…" He groaned. Tigress loomed over him, glaring.

"I can't believe you fell for that." She sneered. She brought her foot down for another blow. Working on instinct, with his head still aching, he caught her foot mid strike. Twisting it, he threw her to the side. Her body spun mid fall, letting her skid on her feet across the training ground.

She stared at him, gaze piercing. Was THIS the strength with which he defeated Tai Lung? The strength that had led her to call him 'master'? She scowled. One minute he was a useless idiot, and the next he nearly resembled a proper warrior. It was infuriating! She growled and flexed her paw, revealing claws. It had the desired effect. Po swallowed thickly.

"H-hey! No need for that!" When she didn't retract her claws he crouched again. Tigress never used her claws. Ever. He stared at her tensely. The intense moment was shattered when the cry of a falcon was heard overhead. The bird circled and landed awkwardly, a scroll clutched in its talons. Po noted, with some confusion, that the falcon was not much bigger then the scroll it carried. He narrowed his eyes as he got a better look at the seal on the scroll. "Woah! That's the scroll of the emperor's southern guards, the Sword of the Sun!" The Sword of the Sun was a fierce band of warriors that patrolled the south province of Sha Ling, keeping the peace at the command of the emperor.

"This should be taken to Master Shifu." Tigress murmured. She sheathed her claws and picked up the scroll. She took off for the Hall of Warriors. Po lingered long enough to gently scoop up the falcon, letting it come to rest on his arm, and then took off at steady pace for the Hall.

**There it is. If you liked it please let me know!**


	5. Trouble Part 1

**Yet another chapter. Yes, I write these a few at a time because the chapters are so short. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If it not mine, then it belongs to someone else.**

Trouble Part 1

Shifu was sitting in front of the Moon Pool, deep in meditation. A single ear twitch was all the acknowledgement he gave his two students as they ran down the hall. The rest of the Furious Five were right behind them.

"We saw the falcon." Crane explained.

"What's happened?" Viper asked. Tigress knelt at Shifu's side, head bowed, and presented the scroll to him.

"Master. News from the Sword of the Sun." She said. Shifu stood and accepted the scroll. He broke the seal and opened the scroll. His eyes grew wide, as he read. He dropped the scroll numbly.

"The Wu sisters have been spotted in the Sha Ling province." His voice was quite and grave.

"Who?" Monkey asked, scratching his head in confusion. Po sputtered. "They're only the most feared and notorious villains to ever terrorize China!" he exclaimed,

"I wouldn't say that." Shifu said, "But they are certainly formidable foes. It took the combined efforts of Masters Rhino, Ox and Croc to defeat them. They'd disappeared several years ago. What is most unfortunate is the disappearance of Tai Lung."

A soft spring breeze blew through the hall and ruffled Po's fur as he stood in deep contemplation of what his master meant. He blinked slowly. "But…but I defeated Tai Lung."

"Yes, you did." Shifu murmured, "But on inspection of the sight of your final attack, we could not find him. He would have been gravely injured and near death. But with the Wu sisters being active again..."

"What do the Wu sisters have to do with Tai Lung?" Tigress questioned.

"It was long suspected that they were his students." Shifu explained. "They are snow leopards, like him and their fighting styles have been reported to be incredibly similar. They're are also all masters of Leopard style."

"But if their helping Tai Lung then….then he could come back again!" Mantis exclaimed. The Furious Five gave a collective shudder as they remembered their last encounter with Tai Lung.

"This is why I will be sending two of you to investigate in Sha Ling." Shifu explained, "Mantis and…Monkey. You two will go and see what you can learn."

Po frowned. "Why not me?" He whined.

"Because, despite that fact that you are the Dragon Warrior, you are immensely noticeable." Shifu said, voice flat. Po felt his face heat up from embarrassment.

"Right…" He mumbled.

"I have not yet had a chance to train you in proper stealth." Shifu added, his tone gentling a bit.

"So what do we do while Mantis and Monkey are off looking into this?" Po asked, sullen.

"You train and you wait. Which, at the moment, is all we can do." Shifu sighed, "Mantis, Monkey, prepare for your trip. The rest of you I expect to see outside or in the training hall working." He sat back down before the pool. His eyes closed in a clear dismissal. Po huffed. "What am I supposed to do with the falcon?"

"I have a name you know!" The falcon glared at Po. "The name's Ragnos. And what you SHOULD do is offer me food and water. Do you have ANY idea how far I just flew to bring you that stupid scroll?" Po gaped.

"I…uh…sorry! But...what kind of name is Rangnos?"

"A not Chinese name, genius." Ragnos snapped impatiently.

Po blinked. "Oh...that makes sense. I guess…we'll be in the kitchens then." He grinned suddenly, "I could use a snack anyway." As he headed towards the kitchens, it was not with his normal speed. In fact, he practically limped out the door. It was clear, despite his enthusiasm, that his body was suffering from training with Tigress.

"We watched you spar, you know." Viper commented casually. Tigress looked down at her as the other three dispersed to their chosen activities.

"What about it?"

"Nothing!" Viper said, still with a tone of forced casualness. "It was just odd to watch, is all. He really seemed to be holding his own against you." Tigress scoffed.

"Really? Because to me it looked like he kept losing."

"Perhaps at first." Viper agreed, "But he also got you to lose your temper."

"He's an idiot. I find it annoying." Tigress growled. Viper laughed, all effort to appear casual abandoned.

"I've never seen someone push you like he does." Viper said.

"I have NO idea what you're talking about." Tigress snapped. "I'm going to go look through the sacred scrolls." That said, she turned and practically ran away. Viper shook her head and went to join Crane's side.

"What do you think of Tigress and Po?" She asked. Crane shrugged.

"Their certainly…different. I think Po actually does both worse and better when fighting against her. Its like he gets easily flustered and that's when he fails."

"I think he's good for her. Maybe he'll force her to acknowledge her emotions. Even if its only annoyance." Viper murmured, mindful that Tigress could still be nearby.

"I'd give anything to see her calm shattered, even if its just in anger." Crane agreed. "But we'll see I suppose."

"Yes…we'll see."

**Did you like it? Then let me know! Read and review, people!**


	6. Trouble Part 2

**Yes, ANOTHER chapter. I TOLD you I write more then one at a time. So please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it I wouldnt be waisting my time writing fanfiction.**

Trouble Part 2

Deep in a cave, north of the Valley of Peace, the Wu sisters knelt before a makeshift throne fashioned of thick pillows and roughly cut rocks.

"Master." Su Wu said, "We did as you commanded. The fools in Sha Ling believe us to be within their province."

"You have done well." Tai Lung rumbled. "Shifu will not think to question it when once he hears of it. And he WILL hear of it. Of that, I am sure."

"But Master! What if they tell the Council instead?" Wing questioned nervously.

"They won't." Tai Lung assured her, "With his precious Dragon Warrior at his side, Shifu will be the one they tell, thinking him the more competent choice."

"Shall we command our spies to abandon their current position and move to the Jade Palace?" Su asked. Tai Lung tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Hmmm. Yes. That's an excellent idea. Send word to them to do that. Do you think they can do it without drawing suspicion to themselves?"

"We taught them well." Wan said, "I have faith that they can fool Shifu easily." Su and Wing nodded in agreement to their sister's claim.

"Good." Was all Tai Lung said. He flexed his claws in an almost thoughtful gesture.

"Master…will you finally tell us of your plans?" Su asked, voice gently pleading. Tai Lung stood and the sisters gasped.

"Master! Don't! You're not yet healed!" Wing exclaimed. The three sisters flocked to his side, gently trying to push him back to a sitting position.

"Please Master. Sit?" Su begged. Tai Lung growled. His yellow eyes narrowed and flashed angrily.

"I am disappointed. You seem to think I am much weaker then I am." The sisters gasped in unison. They bowed their headed, ears flat against their skull and tails completely still.

"That's not it at all master!" Su protested quietly.

"We don't wish to see you hurt again after such a close brush with death." Wing said.

"We were so frightened for you when we found you." Wan all but whispered. Their eyes remained glued to the floor as if it held the secrets of the universe itself.

Tai Lungs glare softened. "I see." He took Su's arm and rubbed against his cheek. A low, rumbling purr issued from his chest.

"M-Master?" Su stuttered, lifting her gaze. He gently repeated the gesture with Wing and Wan, who were equally confused.

"My, precious, precious girls." He purred. All three of them swooned. "You worry too much for me, I think." They pushed against him gently, almost pleadingly.

"Please master? Indulge your students in this?" Su implored. Tai Lung finally sat down.

"I think it is indeed time to tell you of my plans." Tai Lung murmured. They perked up noticeably, their ears cupping forward and their tails lashing with excitement.

"We are honored, Master." Su said quietly. Tai Lung smirked.

"As you should be. But enough of that. My defeat at the hands of the Dragon Warrior taught me a few things. Mostly that I will never get the revenge I seek trying to simply defeat him. No, no. I want to DESTROY him. Him and Shifu's precious Furious Five." A vicious smile overcame his features. "And I will tear them apart in the way they would least suspect. Tell me, what do you know of Fenghuang?"

**This fanfic is a mixture of all the knowledge I could accumulate, including the movies, tv series, video games and comics. I hope it has come together nicely. Please review!**


	7. Scrolls

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! please continue to enjoy this story!**

**Disclaimer: Its mine! Really! ...maybe...kinda...but not really.**

* * *

><p>Tigress sat beneath the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, a scroll in her paws and several more scrolls in a neat pile beside her. She sat there, quietly reading, with her tail gently stirring the petals around her. A single ear twitched back to listen as Shifu approached from behind her. The soft padding of his feet would have been barely noticeable, but Tigress was always listening and Shifu hadn't trying to sneak up on her.<p>

"Master." She intoned, not looking up from her scroll.

"It's been some time since I've seen you here." Shifu murmured, coming to stand next to her.

"My physical training often takes up much of my time." Tigress confessed. "It often does not leave time for such things as studying the sacred scrolls."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. The Sacred Scrolls? He looked at the ends of the scroll she held and it held the familiar symbol that marked it as one of the Ten Thousand Sacred Scrolls. Why would she be studying those, he wondered. "I would have thought you would be studying one of the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu rather then work your way through the Ten Thousand Sacred Scrolls."

The Ten Thousand Sacred Scrolls contained all manner of knowledge, amassed from many sources. The Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu, on the other hand, were written souly by Oogway and contained knowledge only pertaining to Kung Fu.

At Shifu's question, Tigress hunched slightly, guiltily.

"I wish to be well versed in all that I can learn." It wasn't a lie, but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Shifu sighed. "Tigress, I know you well enough to know when you're lying to me."

Tigress's ears flattened against her skull. "I didn't LIE." She insisted.

"But you are not speaking the whole truth either." Shifu countered. "So will you tell me? Or will I be forced to guess?"

Tigress hunched further. "Tai Lung did not have the patience to master the Sacred Scrolls. _I_ will." She growled.

"I see." Shifu said, stiffening. Had he failed again? Was she following a path out of her anger and desire to succeed at all costs? No, surely not. And yet, the facts reminded him strongly of Fenghuang. He smiled gently, trying to push such thoughts away. "But…perhaps it would be prudent to study the Thousand Scrolls before you delve too deep into the Sacred Scrolls."

"I have already read all of the Thousand Scrolls." Tigress said blankly. "I have yet to MASTER all the techniques, but that will come in time." She continued to stare hard at the scroll in front of her. "Master…why are the first of the Sacred scrolls on making food and preparing drinks?"

"To be a truly wise master, one must be well versed in all aspects of life." Shifu explained patiently. "Why do you feel like you must outshine Tai Lungs accomplishments?"

Tigress bared her teeth. "It is not a matter of outshine _his_ accomplishments exactly. He was simply the first to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu. It has been done now, to do it would only put my name beside his. I wish to accomplish something original, and all my own. And so I seek to master the Ten Thousand Sacred Scrolls. My goal is to make sure my name is remembered in this world, long after I am dead and gone."

"You seek fame?" Shifu asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

Tigress scoffed. "Of course not. I seek remembrance, not fame." Shifus brow furrowed and he didn't speak for awhile. Finally, he opened his mouth again.

"I heard you assisted Po in training today."

Tigress gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes. He has proven to be difficult to train. I believe I will leave it to you, Master, who understands him best."

Shifu chuckled. "I wouldn't say I know him the best, I was simply the first to realize he can not be trained in the same way as others. He is…unique. But I do not think you should give up on him yet. You could teach him much, if you tried."

Tigress shook her head. "When training he seems to be only half trying. It was…infuriating. Its as if he's not really trying."

Shifu chuckled. "I think your own unique power intimidates him. He's trying, he's simply…nervous. My observations make me believe that you have that effect on him, being the most powerful of the Five."

Tigress looked up from her scroll eyes wide. "You…you think I am the most powerful?"

Shifu smiled gently. There was no need to fear history repeating himself. He had trained Tigress well, he knew better then to think she would fall.

"I do." He assured her. "Come, it is time for today's training. And Tigress….think on what I said about Po. I truly think good things can come of this."

Tigress stood and gathered her scrolls.

"I will consider your words carefuly, Master." Tigress murmured.

**Review! I live on your praise!**


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